
Opened in 2015; slated to close in 2026
About 2,000 military veterans rely on Gallup’s VA clinic as their first point of contact for health care. They aren’t happy that the clinic is on the chopping block as part of a national effort to rebalance veterans’ health services and infrastructure.
New Mexico has eight VA community-based outpatient clinics. Four are slated for closure: Gallup, Las Vegas, Raton and Espanola. All together, they serve a little under 5,000 veterans.
Without the clinic, Gallup veterans who aren’t eligible for services from IHS will have to go to Albuquerque for primary care, Dave Cuellar, head of Veterans Helping Veterans, said. Many older veterans...